David Cameron has had a rough ride of late, yet even in difficult times, his popularity has until now exceeded that of his party. That is starting to change, according to figures from this paper’s poll today from Ipsos Mori. The Tories are still doing badly in the polls, trailing Labour by 16 points in today’s, on 35 per cent, but for the first time more people dislike the Prime Minister than like him. This may be a separate issue from whether they would vote for him, but it suggests that his greatest asset — his personal appeal — is diminishing. If David Cameron can’t win the PR war, then some Tories may begin to ask what is the point of him.

Labour has a different problem: people like Ed Miliband less than his party. Only 37 per cent like him, yet just over half, or 51 per cent, say they like Labour. Mr Miliband is not his party’s best selling point. As for Nick Clegg, 63 per cent of people dislike him — but they don’t care for the Liberal Democrats either.

Mr Cameron also has a problem with his own party. Not only are some backbench Tory MPs restive; his popularity with people who voted Tory in 2010 is down as well. In fact, traditionalists are increasingly restive about a range of issues that the Prime Minister has advanced. For the public as a whole, other factors play a part, such as the recent emphasis on Mr Cameron’s privileged background.

Mr Cameron’s great hope is that come the election, the recovery in the economy will put all other issues into perspective. Yesterday’s GDP figure, showing that the economy is out of recession, is a start; so too is the upturn in employment. The reduction in inflation to 2.2 per cent is significant; the rising cost of living has previously surpassed rises in income for many. In that context, Mr Cameron was right to focus on the cost of fuel recently: increases in utility bills may well nudge inflation back up.

Now he must hope that the recovery becomes a reality on the ground, in jobs and incomes, before 2015. That’s what matters most. By comparison, Mr Cameron’s personal appeal is less important.

Hope for Malala

THE Pakistani schoolgirl, Malala Ziauddin Yousafzai, shot by the Taliban for championing education for girls, is now making good progress in the Birmingham hospital where she will undergo facial reconstruction surgery. Her father is with her today and has promised that the attack will not silence her campaign. The remarkable thing about Malala is that the attack on her has sparked outrage in Pakistan itself. If the backlash against the Taliban can be translated into support for female education, then some good

will have come out of this tragedy.

The truth is that women are particularly vulnerable to extremism in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. This week the Commons international development select committee cast doubt on whether the billions of pounds that have been spent in Afghanistan will actually result in a viable state, and the dreadful suicide bombing in the north of the country today seems to confirm that, but it also said that small-scale aid projects can achieve results, including those to assist women. The education of girls is good for them, but also for their country and economy.

Goldman Sachs Ten

THE 10 apprentices whom Goldman Sachs has taken on from struggling backgrounds as part of this paper’s Ladder for London campaign start work today. We wish them well. The bank has shown faith in them and we are confident that the benefits will be mutual.